Category — Home Inspection

A new home is a thing of beauty. In many cases, you can work with the builder to tweak your design and get exactly what you want. You can select your appliances, your finishes or maybe even make some architectural changes. Because a new home has never been lived in, it’s easy to think that a new home wouldn’t need an inspection. Unfortunately, a new home is just like any other home – it must have a professional inspection before you buy and move in. Even the best contractors can make a mistake, and sub-par contractors can turn your new dream home into a nightmare. 

Friends and family members can provide a wealth of information during your home-buying experience. You may be able to get great tips, advice and support from your knowledgeable friends and family. Even better – you may have family or friends who have worked in construction or carpentry, or have done electrical or plumbing work and are extremely knowledgeable about homes. Enlisting these people as an additional safeguard gives you a great opportunity to have an extra set of eyes review a property before you buy. However, don’t make the mistake of substituting family members or friends for a professional inspection.  

Recent remodeling or repairs can be a very tempting thing when you’re looking for a home. It’s easy to think that a home that has been recently repaired is kept well up-to-date, or that a home with a new remodeling project is a well-loved home with great amenities. Unfortunately, in many cases, this might not be true. Recent repairs, redecorating or remodeling can actually be a sign that the home you’re considering has serious problems. Remodeling or redecorating can hide things like a leaky roof, mold or mildew or other serious structural problems.  

Some sellers have an appraisal performed on their property before they put it up for sale to determine the value of the property. A seller then uses the appraisal as a selling tool; a cornerstone for determining the home’s value and validation for the buyer that the home is worth what the seller is charging. As a buyer, you should take these appraisals with a grain of salt. They can be helpful in setting a ballpark figure for cost, but you should do your own footwork before you agree on price.  

Home inspections are a great way to be forewarned about potentially serious problems before you buy a property. A home inspection should be a part of every home-buying transaction, and home inspections can save you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars by identifying problems before you buy. However, a home inspection can’t prevent every problem, so don’t assume that a home protection is a blanket guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong with your home.  

Getting a home inspection is integral to the process of buying a home. A good inspection will tell you about your home’s potential flaws, or confirm that your home is in good condition. Not all inspections are created equal, however, but with a few savvy techniques, you can maximize your home inspection to get the most from your investment.  

A good home inspector will give you a detailed report. You can then take that report to the seller and discuss any outstanding items or issues that need to be resolved. Since you’re getting a report anyway, you don’t have to be present at the inspection, right? Wrong. Being present at the home inspection is one of the most important parts of closing on your property.  

The home inspection is one of the most important parts of buying your new home, and the inspector is the main piece of this puzzle. You need to choose the right inspector to ensure you get a valuable, thorough assessment of your new home prior to closing. How do you choose the right home inspector?  

Every home should get a property inspection before you buy it. Smart buyers make offers with inspection contingencies, that enable them to adjust the terms of the sale or back out entirely if the inspection turns up property issues. Depending on where in the country you live, and what you want to do with the property, you may need additional inspections.  

Patent defects are defects that are obvious and apparent when you inspect a home. You don’t have to be a home inspector to notice water stains, a flooded basement or cosmetic damage. In some cases, these patent defects are minor cosmetic inconveniences, but in other cases, they can herald potentially serious problems.